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Online Teaching

Using Additional Web Based Tools

Web based tools are a great means to have students engage with content. These tools fall into two categories: formative assessment activities and presentation tools. Sometimes these categories overlap and you will find a web-based tool on both lists.

Web based activities may be embedded or linked in your Moodle course. As well, consider using these activities in online synchronous environments (BB Ultra) or in face to face (F2F) environments.

Formative assessment: It is important for faculty and students to know how well students are grasping concepts and skills taught. For faculty, when these activities are delivered in synchronous environments, you get a collective view of the class performance. For students, formative activities allow one to reflect on their class work. Mid-term marks should not be a surprise for faculty or students.

Presentation tools: Providing students with novel approaches to delivering content is important for the student experience. If you use PPT consistently, consider using a different presentation tool occasionally.

Notes:

  • These web tools are free. Often these sites encourage you to buy a more advanced license to build classes in an app where you can track answers. Please remember these apps do not replace our Moodle platform for student tracking and summative assessment.
  • Free apps may change their policies and limit content development. You may consider keeping a Word copy of your assessment activity.

Content

Please click the link for information

Formative Assessments

  1. Cram is a great game for getting students to memorize facts and definitions. Students may use flashcards and build tests for themselves. Best of all, students love the interactive games Jewels of Wisdom and Stellar Speller. You may post links in a Moodle Forum and have students do screen shots to compete for the top score. https://www.cram.com/
  2. Quizlet, like Cram, focusses on terms and definitions. Students may study flash cards, make tests, and play games Match and Gravity. Embed and link this tool in Moodle. There is one feature for F2F classes, Quizlet Live. Quizlet Live lets your students work together in order to find the right word or definition to a description. Teams compete to get across a finish line displayed on your classroom screen. https://quizlet.com/
  3. Ed Puzzle is a great tool to edit long videos (such as YouTube, Khan Academy and other open source videos) to sizeable learning chunks. You may add questions and comments, and if necessary your voice! If you are teaching students who require shorter, simpler, and slower spoken language, this may be for you. https://edpuzzle.com/
  4. H5P has a wide variety of activities to choose from – interactive videos, quizzes, drag and drop, memory games, flash cards, and much, much more. H5P is now available as a Moodle plugin.
  5. Learning Apps is similar to H5P. There is a host of activities. Favorites include a sorting activity and number line. Students are able to self-check their answers and re-attempt the learning object. This reinforces learning. https://learningapps.org/
  6. KaHoot is an interactive game. Students answer questions on their mobile devices and try to make it to the top of the leader board. Play this game in synchronous situations (F2F or online) or assign it in your Moodle course. https://kahoot.com/
  7. Mentimeter is a quiz and polling tool. The graphics are visually pleasing. Additionally, you may also create word clouds and a poll that allows you to rank order your responses. The free version only allows two slides. This is a great method to break and pause in a lesson. https://www.mentimeter.com/
  8. Nearpod allows you to add interactive activities to an instructional platform. Students may work with a Nearpod using an iPad or their own devices (including a computer). Lessons may be delivered live (F2F or online), or students can work through this activity at their own pace. For the latter, embed Nearpod lessons in Moodle. https://nearpod.com/
  9. Padlet is an online bulletin board. Use it online asynchronous or synchronous, or in a F2F environment. Students may post text, images, take pictures with cameras, and link websites. Choose the template (columns, free, scroll) and background. Padlet may be used for higher Bloom’s taxonomy outcomes. https://padlet.com/
  10. Plickers is a tool you may use in F2F environments. An instructor is the only person that needs technology. Students are distributed QR codes. Students are able to rotate the QR code to answer questions. Because each QR code is unique, this activity reduces groupthink. This tool is great for collaborative group work. https://www.plickers.com/
  11. Quizziz is similar to KaHoot. Students may play in a synchronous environment to compete against each other or play it solo to self-test. Kahoot! and Quizizz both use bright colors and fun music to create an energized, game-like atmosphere. Students using Quizizz can see both questions and answers on their devices. https://quizizz.com/
  12. Slido is a quick polling tool, similar to Poll Everywhere! or Mentimeter. You can create a poll that participants will respond to using their mobile devices, or crowdsource questions from the audience. https://www.sli.do/
  13. Socrative may be used as a tool much like Kahoot. There are race icons that may be displayed on a screen to denote students’ progress and the winner. Use Socrative quizzes to introduce a new topic (assess prior learning), reinforce knowledge, encourage reflection and peer-led discussion (when playing as a team) and exit surveys. Socrative may also be played asynchronously. https://socrative.com/
  14. Gimkit is one-step ahead of KaHoot in providing a game show like atmosphere. Gimkit not only requires knowledge to win; collaboration and strategy are necessary as well. You can export Quizlet text into Gimkit. Sadly, the free version only allows you to make 4 question sets and you can only edit each one three times. Use the free version synchronously. https://www.gimkit.com/

Presentation Delivery

  1. Prezi software allows you to create moving text and pictures. Hide your whole presentation in an image and zoom in and out to display text, images and videos. https://prezi.com/
  2. Screen cast o’ matic allows you to make quick recording of your screen. These quick videos are great for walking students through your Moodle course or assignment. Choose to turn on your web camera. This is a simple to use application. https://screencast-o-matic.com/
  3. Explain Everything is an interactive screen casting whiteboard. You can make a presentation, and record everything you are drawing and saying. You can easily make tutorials and instruction videos and send it to your students. https://explaineverything.com/
  4. Khan Academy provide videos to teach students important lessons about history, science, physics, finance, biology, geometry, algebra, grammar, etc. Check these recourses out before building your own. https://www.khanacademy.org/
  5. Ed Puzzle is a great tool to edit long videos (such as YouTube, Khan Academy and other open source videos) to sizeable learning chunks. You may add questions and comments, and if necessary your voice! If you are teaching students who require shorter, simpler, and slower spoken language, this may be for you. https://edpuzzle.com/
  6. Loom “Easy and free screen recorder for Mac, Windows, and Chromebooks. Record your camera and screen with audio directly from your Chrome browser and share.” https://www.loom.com/
  7. Google Slides allows you to create a presentation to share with your students. Student may edit slides. You may pose questions or ask for feedback on slides within your presentation. https://www.google.com/slides

 

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